By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
Last Sunday, 130 teenagers crossed a threshold from being Whitewater High School seniors to becoming WHS alumni during the Class of 2015 commencement program – in about the same amount of time it would takes to watch a couple episodes of “Big Bang Theory.”
When Principal Doug Parker certified the Class of 2015 as having met Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and Whitewater Unified School District requirements for graduation June 7, they joined WHS alumni stretching back 128 years to 1887, the year that Nellie Wright was the only graduate and the commencement speech highlighted “modern women taking their place in the world.”
Following the processional of the graduates, accompanied by the WHS Band under the direction of Abigail Pulvermacher playing “Pomp and Circumstance/Star Wars” and the “Star-Spangled Banners” sung by the WHS Music Masters Ensemble directed by Karen Tordera, Amanda Herold welcomed the large crowd that filled the WHS gymnasium stands by comparing the four-year high school experience to running a race.
“When the run became the most difficult, the encouragement and advice from our coaches in the classroom motivated us to do our best and keep working hard. During the race we realized we weren’t just running with competitors. We were also running with teammates with similar goals and interests and who wanted us to succeed,” Herold said.
“We are now crossing the finish line. It has been a good race, and when you finish a race, you only remember the best parts,” she said. “Graduates, prepare for the next race. Use the important lessons you learned in high school. Run hard. Finish strong.”
Hannah Sallmann introduced faculty speaker Tony Tautges who began by telling the audience he thought of commencement day as “Dandelion Seed Day.”
“At the end of this ceremony we will hold the dandelion up and watch the seeds blow away to the four directions, never seeing most of them again,” Tautges said. “We’re confident that they will take and grow into beautiful flowers, but we don’t often find out. So stay in touch please.”
A physics teacher for 28 years, Tautges offered the graduates a spot-on modification of Issac Neuton’s Three Laws of Physics as three “Laws of Life.”
Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
“This is not only true of objects but also of our minds. If our minds are stationary, never wanting to learn anything new, they will become stagnant, and just kind of sit there doing nothing. But if a mind is in motion and stays in motion, its own inertia will keep it going,” he said.
“Your mind is a powerful thing, but it needs as much exercise as any muscle in your body. So stay active mentally. Try to learn something new every day,” Tautges added.
He said Newton’s Second Law of Motion is this: if you want a mass to move, you must exert a force. If you don’t exert the force, the mass will just sit there.
“This also applies to life. If you want something to happen in your life, you must exert a force. It’s not going to happen by itself,” Tautges said.
Regarding Newton’s Third Law – for every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force – Tautges told the audience “this is also true in our relationships with other people. If your ‘action force’ is a smile and a pleasant ‘Good morning.’ the ‘reaction force” from your office-mate will be the same. On the other hand, if all you do whine and complain – this job stinks, my boss is an idiot, etc., you’ll also get negativity in return.
“So there you have it, Newton’s Laws of Life. Stay active mentally, if you want something, exert the force and get after it, and be nice,” Tautges said.
Valedictorians speak
Wentao Guo, the first of three valedictorians, focused on happiness.
“Knowing what makes each of us happy is so important, I think, because it is a step on the path to understanding who we are. I believe the question, ‘What brings me happiness?’ is for each of us one of the most important questions that we can ask ourselves. It’s not that we can’t be happy without knowing the answer, because we can; however, to know the answer is to understand part of our identity,” Guo said.
“Understanding what makes each of us happy is important because what makes us happy gives our lives meaning. When we have achieved something great – such as graduating – our quest for happiness brings us a deeper sort of fulfillment,” Guo said.
Lauren Lohff cautioned her fellow graduates not to lose ambition after receiving their diplomas.
“I urge you not to become one who loses their drive. Instead, become the mechanic who prevents others from being stranded, the hair stylist who makes someone’s day special, the fashion designer who creates something new, the accountant who saves others a bothersome headache, or the doctor who saves lives. Whatever your aspirations may be, set them high,” Lohff said.
She also advised her fellow classmates to strive for big things.
“Make sure that these are not the best four years of our lives. Continue to be determined and ambitious, and remember everything that we do matters. It matters how we treat people. It matters what we choose as our priorities. And it matters, maybe most of all, who we decide to be after high school,” Lohff said.
Valedictorian Sarah Schumacher said she “can’t help but reminisce on the years and the experiences that have helped us get to this point. Since we walked into this gym as nervous, naive, freshmen, we’ve come a long way.
“I’ve realized that our time here was not measured by class periods, semesters, or years – but by friendships. Some of these friendships were nothing more than the funny kid we sat next to in class, and others are friendships that will last a lifetime,” Schumacher said.
“This year, more than ever before, I have seen us all come together as the Class of 2015. We have been bonded by the laughter and smiles of the good times, and the tears of the tragic times,” Schumacher said. “As we all leave here today to follow different paths, time and space will separate us. But over the years we have left our mark at Whitewater High, and even though time and space will inevitably separate us, we are the Class of 2015 – and that will always unite us.”
Jonahan Zimdars, the salutatorian, spoke of the legacy the class created in its four years together.
“Today is the day that we celebrate all that we have accomplished these past four years. Even though we are moving on to the next step in our lives, we will always carry with us the memories of these past four years. We have accomplished great things here at Whitewater High School that range from all aspects of school activities, including the Arts, Academics, and Athletics,” Zimdars said.
“We have done more than create memories; we have left a legacy, a legacy that will live on not just in the walls of this school, but also in our community,” Zimdars concluded.
Following the Certification of the Class of 2015 by Parker, District Administrator Eric Runez and Whitewater Unified School District Board President Casey Judd presented diplomas.
Kehoe, one of the class leaders, offered a few words to the wise in her closing remarks.
“As we embark on the path that lies ahead of us, we are equipped with the life lessons and skills necessary for prosperity, as long as we remain honest, work hard, and, as my grandpa said, pay attention,” Kehow said.
Kehoe was joined on stage by fellow class leaders Herold, Lohff, Sallmann and Sara Foucault the switching of tassels, followed by the graduates marching out of the gym to rousing cheers from the audience.
